I was in year 7 when we moved over here but, because I didn’t know a lot of French, we decided that at my new french school I should go back a year. It is not unusual for students to do this (to “redouble”). If a student is struggling then a decision is made between the student, the parents, the college and a governor. There is no stigma attached to this decision, as it is considered the best way forward for the student and their education.

When we arrived in France, I went into school for one week before the Christmas holidays to get used to it. I have to say it was very hard, sitting at the back of the class with everyone talking French, not having a clue what they are on about, not to mention the difficulties of getting into the school routine or finding some friends. That went on for a few weeks, but with every month my french progressed and every new year I went into my new class understanding more than i did the year before. I was soon telling the French what lessons we had next and when the holidays were. I felt much better.

In 4eme (year 9) I joined a music club where, every Monday lunchtime from 1pm to 1:55pm, a group of musicians reproduce songs with different instruments, and because I’ve been playing the piano since I was seven years old, I thought I’d give it a go. At the end of the school year we got to play our songs in front of loads of people at the ‘Fête du collège’. Everybody loved our songs and I even had a teacher come over to me and tell me how very talented I was! I felt very happy

I also joined a ‘Comédie musicale’, which is a theatre group held during lunchtime at school, where we act, sing and dance, and at the end of the school year we perform our play to everyone in a theatre. First of all I had to do a singing audition, which was scary at first, but at the end everyone said that I sang very well. A few weeks later I heard that I got a part and I was delighted. It wasn’t a big part, but I opened the play and I closed it so I guess it was okay. It was really hard to remember the lines and to make sure that I prononced the words correctly (it doesn’t help when you have an english accent). I suspect the teachers didn’t think that I’d be able to do it, and neither did I to be  quite honest. It didn’t go so well in the dess rehersal and the first performance, but I think the last performance went really well and the teachers were very pleased with me. It goes to show that english people who don’t know a lot of french can play a part in a French play.

This year I’m in 3eme (year 10) which is my last year, finally! This year is a big year, i have 2 ‘Brevet Blanc’ exams, which are the equivalent of “mocks” in England, and at the end of the year I take my ‘Brevet‘ (similar to GCSEs) I  have already had a ‘Brevet Blanc’ in November and I will have another in May. In September I will be going to Lycée. I have to choose between two Lycées. I’ve been to an open day at one and I’ll be going to another one in March. It will be a hard decision.

College St. Joseph, Fontenay-le-Comte

I would really recommend Collège St Joseph to anyone for their children. It is a good school and the teachers are very nice and they are always there to help.

I still miss England and I would really like to still be there. Depending on where you live, life can be very different to England. We used to live in a village where most of my friends were and I’d see them everyday. We’d walk to each other’s houses and could catch a bus or a train to Grimsby town centre in around 15 minutes. Here I live in a lovely little village, but I don’t have any friends who live here, and to go into town it’s about 20 mins drive and there is no train or bus. I think that probably, from a parents point of view, this could be good because you can spend more time with family and explore more things together. Then, when you go to school in the week, you can see your friends again and have a good gossip with them about the weekend.

I’ll soon be 16 and that means I can start driving. I can drive with a parent in the car with me. I have to do so many hours with an adult till i’m 18 then take a driving test. When I heard I could do that I was so happy! It’s a really good idea because, when you’re 18 you will have a good experience of driving, and so you will pass your test much easier (hopefully!). I can also start working here as well, like in england. I was scared at first because I heard that you had to be 18 to work but I did some research and I found that you can work at 16. I will be doing that soon

Thanks for reading and I hope this might help you if you are a teenager who is moving to France soon. If you want to ask any questions, just leave a comment and I will try to answer for you.

Crocodiles?…in France?

We started the evening with a stroll through the park near their house. La Rochelle is somewhere we have passed around and through in the car, but have never had chance to explore, so it was really good to see some of the parts of the city that attract thousands of people here every week. It was a very picturesque park, with the path leading us through the trees, alongside a river, over bridges, and finally delivering us to the beach. All very nice indeed – we can certainly see the benefits of living here.

On the beach there was an amazing sand-sculpture of a crocodile (dragon?) which even had real fire in his nose! Apparently it was made by a guy who sleeps on the beach in a tent. He is certainly very talented.

Having walked along the walls of the old port, we spotted some empty places on the other side, our intended viewing position for the night’s entertainment. So we hopped on the little boat-bus that whizzed us across the water to the other side, where we found a good place to sit, right on the edge of the wall. No-one was going to come and stand in front of us!

Its Pineau time!

So we were settled in our spot with about 3 hours before the show was due to start, so what were we to do? Eat and drink of course! Out came the Pineau (naturally) and the snacks and we kept ourselves entertained by trying to pour the drink into the tiniest of glasses in a strong wind and watching the boys demonstrating their jedi skills to the passing french…

While we waited, the boats that were going to take part in the show drifted past us into the port, and shortly after we were entertained (slightly) by some waveriders (like water-skiers but on a single ski) going up and down down the odd trick.  Rather strangely there was also a barge going up and down the water containing some Irish dancers, although there didn’t seem to be much dancing going on which was a bit disappointing.

Anyway, as the sun slowly dipped down behind the La Rochelle skyline, the time for the start of the show approached.

Into the west

As darkness finally enveloped the port-side, it began. Firstly, all the boats, lit by simple torches, floated slowly from the port and out to sea accompanied by some beautifully haunting music and some lovely “gentle” fireworks. It was a really moving start and reminded me (geek that I am) of the ending of “The Return of the King” when the elves sail off into the west… anyway, don’t get me started on that!

After the parade of  boats, the fireworks started in earnest, with an incredible display. The walls of the port and the buildings facing us were all lit in a variety of colours to tie in with the fireworks and there was music piped across the port. I know we say it every time we have been to a fireworks display, but we all thought that this one was simply the best one yet. I think the combination of the location, the music, the lights, the fireworks, and sharing it with great friends, made it such a breathtaking end to the day.

We were all very numb after sitting on the port-side for so long, but the wine and the pineau helped out there, and it was all worth it in the end.

We arrived into the parking area, very well signposted and marshalled by some chaps in hi-viz jackets. Carcassonne could learn something from this for Bastille Day! Then, after paying a very reasonable €5 each for entry, we strolled into the village itself. What a beautiful place it was. Apparently the abbey was granted the title of Royal Abbey in the 12th century by Eleanor of Aquitaine, so the place is steeped in history. I have to say the abbey was truly stunning. It was a lovely clear summer’s evening and this gave the building a fantastic background. From every angle it was a picture-postcard scene. I could have taken hundreds of photos of it…

We walked through the abbey and the cloisters – some really amazing architecture and the gardens were beautiful. We’re not religious in any way, but there was certainly something about the building that was very peaceful – one could almost imagine the monks shuffling silently around hundreds of years ago.

In contrast, the shows that were dotted around the village were not so peaceful. Upon arival we were treated to “le french cancan” – yes, they say french rather than français! -  all screams and whoops and clapping wildly.

There was a flamenco dancer, some traditional French folk dancing and a live performance by a baroque group (I’m not sure if they called it baroque-and-roll, but it was quite jolly ). This gave way to a show based in the same period which featured various characters in fencing duels – nice to see some ladies taking part in this one!  There was also a brass band from the Napoleonic era playing traditional songs and firing VERY LOUD guns – a little more warning would have been appreciated chaps!

There was also a “dancing fountains” show, where fountains are played with lights and they weave patterns to music – this was very impressive. The path up to this show was lit by different coloured lights shining under umbrellas on the ground. I really liked this affect and was a great way to set the mood for the entertainment to come.

As the  darkness fell, the abbey and the surrounding buildings were lit up with combinations of lasers, lights and projections. The abbey itself had some amazing stained-glass effects projected onto its front elevation – something quite unusual but also beautiful.

There were various bars and restaurants around, and when it got to around 10pm were were getting peckish. It was then that we discovered the only bad thing about the evening – everyone had run out of chips! I know, what a nightmare! We had seen people walking round with some huge chip butties (sorry, “baguettes aux frites“) and by the time we got round to getting one they had all gone. We had to make do with a hot dog (well, just a bun for Lisa, being a veggie) and it was not really the same. Still, we got over our disappointment and managed to make it to midnight when the fireworks began.

Wow. What an incredible display. We thought the Bastille Day show at Carcassonne was good, but I think this show was at least an equal to it. Only 15 minutes long, but it was set to music and contrasted lively music and huge explosive fireworks with downbeat music and pretty colourful fireworks. The whole effect was stunning and we were left totally speechless.

At the end of the night, as we were guided out of the village by the same friendly marshalls and gendarmes, we were left thinking what a great night it had been. All that entertainment right on our doorstep for just €5 each. Now that’s what I call value for money.

On Saturday we entertained Nathalie (Joe’s teacher and the one who Lisa goes in to help with the English lessons) and her family. What a lovely family they are, and we had a really good time. We were a little concerned at our first major “night in” where we would only speak french, but I think we managed it pretty well. The dictionary was out, but we only referred to it on a couple of occasions and made ourselves understood for the rest of the night. Lisa made us all a beautiful meal and we finished the evening playing guitars and singing – something we haven’t done for ages, and we never thought we’d get chance to do again.

The kids meanwhile were off entertaining themselves with playstations and DVDs, breaking down the language barriers in the way that only kids can do. We had a wonderful night and hope to have many more. We are so lucky to count them as our friends after such a short time in the country, and especially sharing a love of music – something that has been sadly missing from our lives since we moved here.

So then we barely had had time to wash up from one evening’s entertainment (oh, to have a dishwasher) and we were preparing for our next guests on Sunday. This time it was an ex-work-colleague of Lisa’s. Helen and her family come to France every year and this year they were coming to Les Sables d’Olonne. As this is only just over an hour from us, it was great that they could come over and see us.

Once again, we had a lovely day. They have two lovely daughters who got on really well with our three – amazing as this was the first time they had met. By the end of the day they were trading MSN addresses and promising to keep in touch. I had finally got some legs for the old door that we salvaged in order to construct a big rustic table, so we set this up on the field, under the gazebo, and ate another lovely meal our there. We ended up all playing cards and taught each other new games to play – great fun.  Sadly the €3 trestle legs the table was resting on started collapsing as the games got more vigorous, so it’s back to the drawing board on that one, but luckily we had another more substantial table to work with.

It was another fantastic day, just the kind of weekend we love, surrounded by great friends. Its funny how you really get to know people so much better when you see them out of their normal environment. We have noticed this with the friends and family that have visited us here previously, but it was especially evident yesterday. Helen had worked in the same school as Lisa, but they had never really socialised before. And the rest of us barely knew the rest of the family. But by the end of the day we felt like we were old friends and hoping to meet up again soon.

And of course, we ourselves have been entertained by our two new additions. Charlie and Lola have settled in well to their new home and are really starting to feel like part of the family. Charlie is clearly the biggest trouble-maker, finding the best places to explore and hide, then calling Lola over to join in. As I write this, they have managed to find the shelf under my desk and are both asleep there cuddled up together. I have the feeling that I may have this kind of company whenever I work from now on, which is really rather nice.

As I mentioned previously, Friday was Fete de la Musique day in Foussais. We wandered down to the garden behind the church, where it was all going to happen, and got ourselves established. It was a beautiful evening, the sun was still strong and there was not a cloud in the sky. The evening kicked off with a lady playing the accordion, joined by what I assumed to be her pupils – one on the accordion and one on the flute. They played a few tunes and the pupils did very well. I imagine the accordion is deceptively tricky to learn, what with it being side-ways-on and all that squeezing in and out – seems like a lot to remember to me.

Then came the kids from Gaston Goulard, the ecole publique. They did several numbers, all unaccompanied, and performed admirably. Some of them were really getting into the swing of it and were jigging along without any worries. Then they were joined by some of the children from St Antoine, including Joe, to sing a song that really confused the audience by singing alternate verses loud then quiet. Each time the quiet verse came around everyone thought they had finished and started clapping!

Then the GG kids left and the rest of the St Antoine children, including Molly, joined the “stage”. They were accompanied on the guitars by Joe’s teacher Nathalie and her guitar teacher in an anglo-french version of “Do-Re-Mi” from the Sound of Music. Lisa had leant Nathalie the DVD of the film a while ago to help her in getting the pronunciation right – the only word they struggled with was “so”, pronouncing it “soo”, but apart from that they were spot-on.

They then went on to treat us to a couple of songs that had featured in last month’s Chante-Mai, “Oh Eh Hein Bon” and “TGV”, both very catchy numbers that had the audience singing and clapping along. The kids were brilliant and we were very proud of them. it was especially nice that we had Lisa’s mum and sister with us so they could see the kids performing, something the family will miss out on very often now we are so far away.

The evening then progressed with a choir from, shall I say, the older generation in the village. I’m not sure what they were singing about, but they made quite a lovely sound and did quite a long session. The crowd were really getting into it by the end, swaying in time to the music and joining in with the chorus – great to see.

By the time the choir had finished, our troops were getting restless, so Lisa took her mum and sister plus Rosie home, while I satayed for a while so Molly and joe could play with their friends. it was such a nice atmosphere, as it always is at these events. The kids all got on and played without getting up to too much mischief and the adults could all relax and enjoy a drink on the grass.

While they played a young lad with another accordion played several songs. I have to say that I think it;s great that there was so much music on show, but the accordion did start to drag on a little bit – reminiscent of the flamenco guitar from the Stevenage concert.  Thankfully the accordion was soon replaced by a chap singing some folky kind of songs, accompanied very well by a guy with a guitar.  He sang a few songs, then made way for a 3-piece combo of keyboard, flute and some other instrument which I can’t remember now…perhaps an oboe. But they were very good, and nicely turned out in matching costumes too!

Once they had finished it was about time to head off. Joe had already been picked up in the car, so Molly and I walked back home. It was still a lovely long, warm night and it was a really nice way to end a very pleasant day.

On Friday it is the Fete de la Musique. This is a national event that was set up in 1982 by the French Ministry of Culture to help popularise music in France and the French-speaking world. The actual day of the festival is the 21st June, the day of the summer solstice, but in Foussais our event is on the evening of the 20th. It is basically a series of free concerts showcasing all different kinds of music and brining the community together to enjoy it.

The concerts in Foussais start at 8.30pm (like most things) and look like they’ll be going on into the wee small hours.  The pupils from the local schools will be singing some songs, followed by various acts that I really know nothing about (!), including “Katell et ses élèves” – with the accordian and flute , the “Chorale du foyer soleil” and “Trompes de chasse”. The evening draws to a rocking close with a series of bands called  “Maigre Souris“, “Nadine is a groove child” and “The Fat Pandas“, the last of which is billed as “British rock”, though I’m not quite sure what that is supposed to sound like.

We have Lisa’s mum and sister staying with us, so I’m not sure we will be staying too late, but it will certainly be nice for them to experience a little of the event and to see, hopefully, the community gathered together.

Another chance for a community gathering comes on Sunday when it is the Kermesse - the “summer fair” if you like – at Molly & Joe’s school.   This event is another all-day job, starting with a meal of moules et frites, one of our favourite meals. There is then a show by the children, followed by a raffle, with a barbecue to round off the night.  It should be another chance for us to get to know people and hopefully enjoy the lovely weather – presently predicted to be sunny and 30 degrees!

Rest assured, there will be reports and photos of all the happenings next week.

My parents are coming to stay for a week from tomorrow, so it looks like good timing for a top weekend’s entertainment for them. I’ll be sure to take photos and show any decent ones here.

More top entertainment coming up is a visit to the church in Foussais of the Stevenage Male Voice choir. We saw this advertised in the local Chocolate shop (yes, we have a chocolate chop in our little village…strange but true. that is, a shop that sells chocolate, not one that is made off chocolate – that would be rather impractical given the temperatures that have suddenly arrived). Now we are a pretty musical family. All of us love singing – Lisa and I were both in various choirs and singing groups back in Grimsby, and we all play various instruments – so we though this would be a great opportunity to hear some great voices, whilst also mixing with the locals once again and doing our bit to support the community. I think the profits go towards sthe local church so its all in a good cause.

It was also interesting that it was the Stevenage choir who were visiting, as my sister lives not far away, so it is a place that we know quite well. So I decided to get in touch with the choir to find out why they chose to come to our neck of the woods.

I had a very nice reply from the conductor of the choir who seemed really chuffed that I had got in touch. Apparently an ex-choir member has moved out to a place near La Châtaigneraie (about 15 mins from us), hence the link to this area. After the concert in Foussais on 17th May, they then travel on to Chatelaillon-Plage, where they will perform a concert on the 21st May.

They are singing with a local choir called “Choraline”, so we are looking forward to hearing them too, as at some point we would love to get into a choir over here and start doing some singing again. We both really miss it. Needless to say, I’ll fill you in on how it went!